Indigenous Architecture and Smart City in Rasht: Bridging Tradition and Innovation in Urban Development

The rapid global adoption of Smart City paradigms often overlooks the intrinsic value embedded within indigenous architectural typologies, leading to sterile, context-less urban environments. This paper investigates the potential for harmonizing indigenous architectural principles—specifically those prevalent in the Gilan province, exemplified by Rasht—with contemporary Smart City frameworks. Rasht, characterized by its unique vernacular responses to the humid Caspian climate and distinct socio-cultural identity, offers a compelling case study for exploring this synthesis. We aim to establish a balanced framework where technological innovation enhances, rather than replaces, contextually appropriate design solutions. The Municipality Square in Rasht, serving as a crucial urban node, is analyzed to identify existing tangible and intangible cultural assets that can inform future smart interventions. Through a mixed-methods approach, this research explores how traditional design elements (e.g., climatic adaptation, material usage, community-centric spatial organization) can be digitally augmented to create a resilient, sustainable, and culturally resonant urban future. The findings suggest that a successful integration requires a critical reinterpretation of tradition through technological lenses, ensuring that Smart City initiatives reinforce local identity

کلیدواژه ها:

Indigenous Architecture ، Smart City ، Rasht ، Urban Synthesis ، Vernacular Design ، Contextual Planning